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An A-Z of Possible Worlds Hardcover – 31 Oct. 2009

by A.C. Tillyer (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars 5 ratings
Welcome to the A-Z of possible worlds. Discover an archipelago where an entire race are burying themselves alive, and watch a city of idealists try to build the perfect ship. Visit a golf course where only robots can play, an orbital road that lures motorists to their death, and a rail network where passengers can get lost forever.

If you could travel through your mind what would you find? Ever been stuck on a stuffy train carriage and let your thoughts wander, making up imaginary stories about the people you are sitting next to? An A-Z Of Possible Worlds, inspired by several such journeys, is a box set of 26 interlinking short stories, each seasoned with the unexpected and absurd. They are stories for people who wish to journey around the mind and go somewhere that does not exist.

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  1. Print length
    300 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Roastbooks Ltd
  4. Publication date
    31 Oct. 2009
  5. Dimensions
    11 x 6.2 x 16 cm
  6. ISBN-10
    190689406X
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1906894061
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Product description

Review

Each of these little stories travels into the much bigger world of the imagination - sometimes sad, sometimes funny, sometimes warped, but always worth the journey. --Sarah Salway

I think this could be big --Scott Pack, Me and My Big mouth

A collection of unusual words of mystery, melancholy and imagination, full of enticing glimpses into the more bizarre corners of the human psyche. --Sebastian Beaumont

Charmingly inventive --Tama Jonowitz

From the Publisher

An A-Z Of Possible Worlds challenges the way books look and how they can be read, capturing the niche of the modern lifestyle read. Each of the booklets in An A-Z of Possible Worlds is autonomous and a reader can take one booklet at a time in any order, instead of carrying around a heavy and impractical tome. Every box contains an insert map, which acts as a guide to the set, displaying fictional and real places. Where will your mind take you...?!

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Roastbooks Ltd
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ 31 Oct. 2009
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 300 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 190689406X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1906894061
  • Item weight ‏ : ‎ 558 g
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 11 x 6.2 x 16 cm
  • Best Sellers Rank: 816,152 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • Customer reviews:
    4.6 out of 5 stars 5 ratings

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
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Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • Mary
    5.0 out of 5 stars Cool
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 10 July 2019
    Verified Purchase
    I bought this anthology of short stories because it looked cool and different, loved the clever format and am reading a book a day , possible worlds alright , it’s like being in a dream /nightmare ... the stories are bloody original and cool .. very interested to read more of this author .... A breath of fresh air in the darkness with this brilliant writer
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  • Moritz Eggert
    5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent book
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 24 December 2009
    I bought this book because of a glowing review in SFX magazine, and was not in the least disappointed. This is one of the best collection of short stories I have read in a long time, a modern day continuation of the works of Jorge Luis Borges (which would be the author who comes . A very unusual book that I would highly recommend, and in a way comparable to "House of Leaves" as a very unique work of imagination.
    Moritz Eggert
    2 people found this helpful
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  • monica
    3.0 out of 5 stars Good stuff. Read it.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 29 May 2012
    I've just re-read this and think even better of it than I did upon first reading, perhaps because this time 'round I wasn't concentrating solely on plot and atmosphere and so was able to get a sense of the intelligence and humour underlying the writing.

    Tillyer's stories are of places, people, events in off-kilter versions of this world, a reality gone slightly awry, and not the surreal or wholly fantastic: A city whose streets are literally labyrinthine; a slumming visitor to a kingdom who is at great cost made king; an ring road of nearly hypnotic appeal and inexplicable danger; civilian astronauts whose time in space is televised as a reality show.

    Not one of the stories is a dud and some are truly haunting: For a few years, something I'd read about an underwater city and charging horses now and again came to mind and I was delighted to find it again in 'R is for Reservoir'. Tillyer's style is straightforward and--for the most part--polished, her ability to pack so much matter into stories so short is admirable, and her imagination is something I covet. I'm surprised there are so few reviews of this, as though the book in no way resembles mass-market pap it seems like one that would have a very wide appeal amongst general readers. And anyone who's a fan of Chateaureynaud's or Alois Hotschnig's stories would probably take to these (and vice versa).

    The format of A-Z is outstanding. Each story is a separate chap-book and all are contained in a box. This isn't a tricksy design decision but packaging inspired by and perfectly appropriate to the content and, it occurred to me, forced me to take a bit of time to let each story sink in, whereas had the book been in conventional form I would have raced through it. The only slight let-down, at least to a geek who looks at copyright pages and credits on end flaps, is that the designer seems to receive no mention. The format might have been a group decision, but surely the letters of the alphabet weren't drawn by a committee.

    No doubt I'll be reading this yet again in a few years . . .

    3 1/2 stars
    2 people found this helpful
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  • J A Bunting
    5.0 out of 5 stars Extraordinary.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 5 August 2011
    Just loved this collection. The imagination, the people, and - sorry - the convenience of a small book for each day! A real charm.
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  • odx
    5.0 out of 5 stars ＡからＺのありそうな世界
    Reviewed in Japan on 16 May 2011
    Verified Purchase
    26の不思議な世界を描いた短編集。中には登場人物や歴史が繋がっている世界もある。世界を渡り歩く元独裁者、世界をあてこする天才発明家、理想の上に作られた都市の歴史、他にも中世あたりの王国からちょっと未来の世界までいろんな話が詰まっている。中には人外の種族の話もあったりする。ものすごく感動したり、オチの秀逸さに膝を叩くといった類の話ではないけれど、淡々した語りにはなんともいえない陶酔感がある。
    ボルヘスやカフカの短編が好きなら読んで損はないと思う。
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